Cho Won-Hee
Encyclopedia
Cho Won-Hee is a South Korea
n footballer who plays for Guangzhou Evergrande as a midfielder
.
.
In 2003, Cho decided to join Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix
, the army team to finish his army duty and to play first team football. There, he was quite impressive, and after his 2-year-duty at Gwanju, he moved to Suwon Samsung Bluewings
, a team that was nicknamed "Real Suwon" for its cash-splashing signings. He originally played as a right wingback or right fullback at the Big Bird Stadium, competing for regular with Song Chong-Gug
, but in 2007, after a long-term injury of defensive midfielder Kim Nam-Il
, he changed his position to defensive midfielder. Throughout the 2007 season, he was not very impressive, and many fans were especially concerned with his rough passing.
However, next season, he showed his quality with improved passing and sight, and became a first team regular. After lifting the league trophy with Suwon, he became free agent.
After trialing with AS Monaco
in January 2009, Cho sought another trial with Wigan Athletic
after it was revealed that AS Monaco had all of their non-EU player slots filled. He impressed during a trial with the club, and after being granted a work permit, Cho was allowed to join Wigan Athletic on 6 March. Cho played his first reserve game in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool
reserves, notching an assist. Cho received a calf injury in a friendly against Iraq
where he was kicked in the leg.
He nearly missed the remainder of the season, but managed to fully recover so as to make his Premier League debut for Wigan in the final match of the 2008–09 season against Stoke City
. So far, Cho has made one appearance as a starter and four as a substitute. He scored a beautiful goal against in a pre-season friendly at Carrow Road
.
side Guangzhou Evergrande on a free transfer, which made him the second Korean player to play for Guangzhou F.C. after Park Ji-Ho
.
on 12 October 2005. His shot deflected off an opposing defender and became one of the few goals scored within a minute. This goal is guessed to be the fastest goal South Korean National Team has ever scored, if the unrecorded games in the 50s and the 60s are not counted. Although Cho impressed as a right-back in his first game, he did not make an appearance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
.
|2002
||rowspan=1|Ulsan Hyundai FC||rowspan=1|K-League
||1||0||||||0||0||colspan=2|-||1||0
|-
|2003
||rowspan=2|Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix||rowspan=2|K-League
||23||2||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||2
|-
|2004
||10||0||0||0||11||0||colspan="2"|-||21||0
|-
|2005
||rowspan=4|Suwon Bluewings
||rowspan=4|K-League
||20||0||2||0||9||0||||||31||0
|-
|2006
||23||0||2||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2007
||14||0||2||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||21||0
|-
|2008
||25||1||1||0||10||0||colspan="2"|-||36||1
|-
|2008–09
||rowspan=2|Wigan Athletic
||rowspan=2|Premier League||1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|2009–10
||4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0
|-
|-
|2010||rowspan=1|Suwon Bluewings
||rowspan=1|K-League
||20||1||||||6||0||colspan="2"|-||26||1
|-
|2011
||rowspan=1|Guangzhou Evergrande||rowspan=1|Chinese Super League
||30||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||32||0
136||4||7||0||45||0||||||188||4
|5||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|30||0||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||32||0
171||4||9||0||45||0||||||225||4
: 2008
FA Cup
: 2010
Hauzen Cup
: 2008
Guangzhou Evergrande: Chinese Super League
: 2011
Individual:
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n footballer who plays for Guangzhou Evergrande as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Club career
As a child, Cho often played as a forward. Later, when he was picked for South Korean U20 squad, he also played as a left winger. In 2001, Cho was planning to play football at university as many other Korean footballers do, but he failed to do so, so he signed with Ulsan Hyundai, one of the most successful clubs in the K-LeagueK-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
.
In 2003, Cho decided to join Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix
Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix
Sangju Sangmu Phoenix , is a professional football club that participates in the K-League. The club is based in Sangju, South Korea. Sangmu is the sports division of the Military of South Korea. The club's mascot is the Bulsajo, which is translates to phoenix in English...
, the army team to finish his army duty and to play first team football. There, he was quite impressive, and after his 2-year-duty at Gwanju, he moved to Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings is a South Korean football club based in the city of Suwon, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. Founded in December 1995, they have become one of Asian football's most famous clubs with a host of domestic and continental honours...
, a team that was nicknamed "Real Suwon" for its cash-splashing signings. He originally played as a right wingback or right fullback at the Big Bird Stadium, competing for regular with Song Chong-Gug
Song Chong-Gug
Song Chong-Gug is a Korean football player who currently plays for Tianjin Teda F.C. in the Chinese Super League.- Career :...
, but in 2007, after a long-term injury of defensive midfielder Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-il or Kim Namil is a South Korean footballer. Kim is a defensive midfielder for Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premier League. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup....
, he changed his position to defensive midfielder. Throughout the 2007 season, he was not very impressive, and many fans were especially concerned with his rough passing.
However, next season, he showed his quality with improved passing and sight, and became a first team regular. After lifting the league trophy with Suwon, he became free agent.
Wigan Athletic
Cho was linked with several European clubs, including German giant Schalke 04 and French side AS Monaco.After trialing with AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
in January 2009, Cho sought another trial with Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
after it was revealed that AS Monaco had all of their non-EU player slots filled. He impressed during a trial with the club, and after being granted a work permit, Cho was allowed to join Wigan Athletic on 6 March. Cho played his first reserve game in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
reserves, notching an assist. Cho received a calf injury in a friendly against Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
where he was kicked in the leg.
He nearly missed the remainder of the season, but managed to fully recover so as to make his Premier League debut for Wigan in the final match of the 2008–09 season against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. So far, Cho has made one appearance as a starter and four as a substitute. He scored a beautiful goal against in a pre-season friendly at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
.
Suwon Bluewings (loan)
He joined Suwon Bluewings on a one-year loan in January 2010.Guangzhou Evergrande
On 13 February 2011, Cho joined Chinese Super LeagueChinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
side Guangzhou Evergrande on a free transfer, which made him the second Korean player to play for Guangzhou F.C. after Park Ji-Ho
Park Ji-Ho
Park Ji-Ho is a retired South Korean football player. He scored the winning goal for Pohang against Ilhwa Chunma in the 1996/97 Asian Champions Cup final.-Club career:...
.
International career
Cho scored his first international goal in his debut game against IranIran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
on 12 October 2005. His shot deflected off an opposing defender and became one of the few goals scored within a minute. This goal is guessed to be the fastest goal South Korean National Team has ever scored, if the unrecorded games in the 50s and the 60s are not counted. Although Cho impressed as a right-back in his first game, he did not make an appearance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
International goals
- Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition October 12, 2005 
SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
1 goal 2–0 Friendly match
Club career statistics
|-|2002
K-League 2002
-League table:-Top scorers:...
||rowspan=1|Ulsan Hyundai FC||rowspan=1|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||1||0||||||0||0||colspan=2|-||1||0
|-
|2003
K-League 2003
The 2003 season of the K-League kicked off on March 23.-League table:-Top scorers:...
||rowspan=2|Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix||rowspan=2|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||23||2||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||2
|-
|2004
K-League 2004
The 2004 season of the K-League kicked off on April 3. The league's previous single-season format was replaced by a separated twice 12-game split-season schedule. Each team will play 12 matches consisting of a home or away fixture against every other team in each stage...
||10||0||0||0||11||0||colspan="2"|-||21||0
|-
|2005
K-League 2005
The 2005 season of the K-League kicked off on May 15. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2004 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November and early December....
||rowspan=4|Suwon Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings is a South Korean football club based in the city of Suwon, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. Founded in December 1995, they have become one of Asian football's most famous clubs with a host of domestic and continental honours...
||rowspan=4|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||20||0||2||0||9||0||||||31||0
|-
|2006
K-League 2006
The 2006 season of the K-League kicked off on March 12. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2005 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in early November, with the Final being played on two legs in late November....
||23||0||2||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||29||0
|-
|2007
K-League 2007
The 2007 season of the K-League kicked off on March 3. The league's previous split-season format was replaced by a combined 26-game single-season schedule. Each team will play 26 matches consisting of a home and away fixture against every other team. After all games have been played, the top 6...
||14||0||2||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||21||0
|-
|2008
K-League 2008
The 2008 season of the K-League kicked off on March 8. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2007 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November, with the Final being played on two legs in early December....
||25||1||1||0||10||0||colspan="2"|-||36||1
|-
|2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
||rowspan=2|Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
||rowspan=2|Premier League||1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
||4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0
|-
|-
|2010||rowspan=1|Suwon Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings is a South Korean football club based in the city of Suwon, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. Founded in December 1995, they have become one of Asian football's most famous clubs with a host of domestic and continental honours...
||rowspan=1|K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
||20||1||||||6||0||colspan="2"|-||26||1
|-
|2011
2011 Chinese Super League
The 2011 Chinese Super League was the eighth season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League, the eighteenth season of a professional association football league and the 50th top-tier league season in China. Guangzhou Evergrande F.C...
||rowspan=1|Guangzhou Evergrande||rowspan=1|Chinese Super League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
||30||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||32||0
136||4||7||0||45||0||||||188||4
|5||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|30||0||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||32||0
171||4||9||0||45||0||||||225||4
Honours
Suwon Samsung Bluewings: K-LeagueK-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
: 2008
K-League 2008
The 2008 season of the K-League kicked off on March 8. The season and playoff format will be the same as the one used in the 2007 season. The playoff fixtures are set to take place in late November, with the Final being played on two legs in early December....
FA Cup
Korean FA Cup
The Korean FA Cup is a national cup knockout competition involving K-League, National League, and various amateur and university-level clubs which is held by KFA....
: 2010
2010 Korean FA Cup
Korean FA Cup 2010 is the 15th edition of Korean FA Cup. The 2010 KFA Cup began on 6 March 2010 and ended on 24 October 2010.-Schedule:-K-League:All of K-League teams are entered in round of 32...
Hauzen Cup
Hauzen Cup
The Samsung Hauzen Cup is a filler competition created to allow domestic football during times of increased national team activity. This competition can perhaps be seen as an attempt to solve the country v club conflict over players...
: 2008
Guangzhou Evergrande: Chinese Super League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
: 2011
2011 Chinese Super League
The 2011 Chinese Super League was the eighth season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League, the eighteenth season of a professional association football league and the 50th top-tier league season in China. Guangzhou Evergrande F.C...
Individual:
- 2008 K-LeagueK-LeagueThe Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
Best 11
External links
- Cho Won-Hee profile at the Wigan Athletic website
- Player Statistics at FIFA